Barbell Stiff Legged Deadlift

1. Stand with feet hip width apart holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.
2. Set a very slight bend in the knees and lock that angle in for the whole set.
3. Pull your shoulders back, brace your core, and set a flat back.
4. Push your hips backward and lower the bar down the front of your legs.
5. Descend until the hamstrings reach a deep stretch, typically around mid shin, without rounding the spine.
6. Drive the hips forward to stand tall, keeping the bar close to your body the entire way.
7. Squeeze the glutes at lockout and repeat for 6 to 10 controlled reps.

Common Mistakes

• Rounding the back to go deeper: Range means nothing once the spine flexes. Lower only as far as your hamstring flexibility allows with a flat back.
• Bending the knees as you descend: Letting the knees unlock turns the lift into a Romanian deadlift or a squat. The near straight knee angle is the whole point.
• Drifting the bar away: A bar floating forward multiplies stress on the lower back. Drag it down the thighs and shins like it is on rails.
• Jerking off the floor between reps: Bouncing plates snaps the load onto a stretched hamstring. Pause briefly at the bottom and pull smoothly.